4.Jeffrey Lacasse — Direct/Cross
597 lines(Jury in.)
JUDGE HANKINSON: Everybody be seated, please.
Call your next witness, Ms. Cappleman.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: The State calls Jeffrey Lacasse.
JUDGE HANKINSON: If you would face the clerk and be sworn, please, sir. Raise your right hand.
whereupon, JEFFREY LACASSE was called as a witness, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
JUDGE HANKINSON: You may proceed.
DIRECT EXAMINATION +BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Sir, please introduce yourself, and spell your first and last name.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. I'm Jeffrey Lacasse. J-E-F-F-R-E-Y. Excuse me. Last name is spelled L-A-C-A-S-S-E.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: How are you employed, Mr. Lacasse?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I'm employed at Florida State University as an associate professor.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. what about back in 2014?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I was an assistant professor at Florida State University.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And did you have a relationship with wendi Adelson?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: what type of relationship was that?
JEFFREY LACASSE: we started dating in the fall of 2013. She became ~=my girlfriend around March of 2014.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And when did that relationship end?
JEFFREY LACASSE: July 2014.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And when the breakup occurred, was there a big argument that occurred that precipitated the breakup?
JEFFREY LACASSE: we had an argument in late June. She went to South Florida for a couple of weeks, and when she came back, we tried to make things work and it didn't really work. She sort of cut off contact.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And during that argument when she went to South Florida, was she in South Florida on July 1st, 2014?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I believe she was. I dropped her off at her house on June 29th, I believe.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And had -- during the course of your relationship with Ms. Adelson, did you ever meet her family?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: who did you meet?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I met her brother. We went to South Florida for an alternative spring break, went to Immokalee and I had dinner with her brother. And I met her mother at her house just very briefly, maybe 10, 15 minutes at dinner. And I went and picked her up, and the kids were there with the grandparents. JI would have just a couple moments of interaction with them. I didn't have a lot of contact.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And what about Katherine Magbanua? Did you ever have an occasion to meet her?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, I went to dinner with her. TI believe it was on March 11th when we went over there to meet Charlie.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. So, who was present at that meal on March 11th? And that's 2014?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct. It was myself, wendi Adelson, Charlie, and Katie.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Charles Adelson and Katherine --
JEFFREY LACASSE: Charles Adelson and Katherine Magbanua.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Thank you. what about Sigfredo Garcia? Did you ever have an occasion to meet him?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did not. I had never met him.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Was Ms. Adelson very close to her parents and her brother Charlie?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Extremely close.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: I want to ask you about June 4th, 2014. Do you recall an event that occurred that day that was unusual?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, I remember a couple of unusual occurrences on June 4th.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Could you tell us about that, please?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. I had met Ms. Adelson at the RedEye Coffee Shop in Midtown for a coffee about 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon. we were going to talk about our relationship a little bit. And she canceled a trip we had planned to California to visit my parents, which was scheduled for July 11th to 17th.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And was she acting strangely that night?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. That night, she was a nervous wreck, to the point -- I couldn't put my finger on why at the time -- to the point where I -- she lived kind of way up Centerville where there are no convenience stores or anything close, and I actually -- it took about 35 minutes, and drove to a convenience store to get her a Pepto-Bismol because she was such a real nervous wreck and had a real nervous stomach that evening.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And did she ever tell you what the problem was?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. She was very non-specific about it.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. were you aware, during the course of your relationship with Ms. Adelson, about her efforts to relocate to South Florida with the children?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I certainly was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And was she -- were you in her life when she learned that the Court was not going to permit her to take the children to South Florida?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. Our first date was September 27th of 2013. So that was a topic of conversation on our first couple of dates, but it was in the past when we discussed it.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And was Ms. Adelson happy about the fact that she was not able to relocate?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. She was quite bitter about it, actually. It was, aS I said, a topic that came up -- that tone came up on those of first dates.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. Did she make any statements to you in reference to her brother considering options to take care of this problem with her not being able to relocate?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, she did.
MR. ZANGENEH: Objection. Sidebar.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Okay.
(A Bench Conference was held as follows:)
JUDGE HANKINSON: So, what do you anticipate he would say?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: That the brother considered all possible options to take care of the problem. And one option was that he was considering the price of having Dan Markel killed back in the summer of 2013, but determined that it would cost either 15- or $50,000. The witness doesn't recall. And he knows the exact date range that this statement was made to him by wendi Adelson, which was within two weeks prior to the murder.
JUDGE HANKINSON: And your theory of admissibility?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Impeachment of Ms. Adelson, who specifically denied making that statement.
MR. ZANGENEH: I have no position on this.
JUDGE HANKINSON: who is responding?
MR. DECOSTE: I am going to respond. If you don't mind me conferring --
JUDGE HANKINSON: who is handling this witness?
MS. KAWASS: He is, Judge.
(Pause. )
MR. DECOSTE: Your Honor, Ms. Adelson, on her direct examination, joked that he did make statements along those lines, but at no point in time was she crossed on it by Mr. Zangeneh or Ms. Kawass. So I don't think that it's proper impeachment to use hearsay within hearsay because, again, this is a statement supposedly made by Charles Adelson to wendi Adelson to Jeffrey Lacasse. So I believe that it would be improper impeachment.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Do that one more time.
MR. DECOSTE: The statement that's sought to be elicited right now by the State is a statement by Charles Adelson to wendi Adelson to Jeffrey Lacasse. I believe it's improper impeachment because Ms. Adelson testified, saying that Charles made statements about looking into hitmen. It was in relation to the Tv, but Ms. Kawass never cross-examined her on it. So I believe that it would be --
JUDGE HANKINSON: what does cross-examination have to do with it?
MR. DECOSTE: For the purpose of impeachment. That nothing came out further during the cross-examination that would allow the impeachment.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Fine.
Ms. Cappleman.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, she did admit making that statement regarding the brother making jokes about the murder in relation to the Tv. That's the statement that she admitted making in her police interview. But she specifically denied making these statements that I am about to attempt to elicit through this witness.
MR. DECOSTE: I don't believe that there's any consistency.
JUDGE HANKINSON: There's what?
MR. DECOSTE: That there is not a proper inconsistency --
JUDGE HANKINSON: well, I don't remember specifically that being asked, more specific about what the brother said. But I remember real clearly Ms. Kawass eliciting from Ms. Adelson that she had no knowledge of her brother being involved in -- any evidence of her brother being involved in a murder, which certainly would be inconsistent with the statement that is proffered to me. So, I'm going to overrule the objection.
MR. DECOSTE: Your Honor, if I could for the record? The cross-examination by Ms. Kawass is still a different situation because the State was trying to establish that Ms. Magbanua was involved. The statement that is going to be elicited has to do with well prior to Charles Adelson even meeting Katherine Magbanua. This is summer 2013. It's before meeting. So, they are going to try to elicit that he was looking to hire a hitman and it was about 15,000. That, in no way, is connected with the case against Katherine Magbanua, because Katherine didn't meet him until late 2013. Just --
JUDGE HANKINSON: It's inconsistent with Ms. Adelson's testimony which was elicited by the defense; so I will overrule the objection.
(The Bench Conference was concluded.)
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Mr. Lacasse, when we broke we were talking about statements made to you by Wendi Adelson about her brother considering options to take care of her relocation problem.
what, if any, statements did she tell you to that effect?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, ma'am. On July of 13th, 2014, wendi and I were speaking, and she asked me if she could share something with me confidentially. I told her, Sure.
She mentioned -- or she said that Charlie had explored all options to take care of the problem, and that he had looked into having Professor Markel killed. It would cost about $15,000. I later talked to Investigator Isom and said that could have been $50,000. They sound an awful lot alike.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. So you are not sure if she said 15 or 50?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's right. But I am confident that she made that statement. I just can't remember the exact dollar amount. And she did state that was during the relocation battle the previous summer is when that had taken place.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And the day that she made the statement to you was July 13th of 2014?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did Ms. Adelson tell you anything about the celebration dinner? Anything about a celebration dinner?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Could you tell us about that, please?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes. A couple of weeks after Professor Markel was murdered, we spoke on the phone, and she had mentioned that her and Charlie had gone to -- these are her words. She said, Charlie and I went to what he described as a celebration dinner.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And that was the dinner where she vomited?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's right. That's correct.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And are you aware of, Mr. Lacasse, that Ms. Adelson suggested you as a possible suspect in this homicide?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, I am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And where were you when Dan Markel was murdered?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I was on the road to Tennessee. I originally had a trip planned for 11 a.m. on Friday the 18th, and I had, at the last moment, changed my trip to Thursday night. So --
MS. CAPPLEMAN: So you left early?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I left early without telling anyone other than the people at, you know, the destination. Ms. Adelson was the only person I had told in Tallahassee about the timing I was leaving, which was 11 a.m. on the 18th. I had informed her of that in -- around June 10th.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. So, originally it was going to be July 18th at 11 a.m. would be your departure?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And would you be flying or driving?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I was driving.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right. And it changed to Thursday night. So you left of the night before and were in Tennessee at the time of the homicide?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's is correct.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Cross?
MR. ZANGENEH: Thank you, Judge.
CROSS EXAMINATION BY MR. ZANGENEH:
MR. ZANGENEH: It's still good morning.
Good morning, sir. How are you?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Good morning.
MR. ZANGENEH: Pronounce your last name for me again.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Lacasse.
MR. ZANGENEH: Lacasse. Okay. I just want to make sure I got it right.
Mr. Lacasse, so Wendi Adelson knew you were leaving -- well, you had told her you were leaving Friday morning?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Friday morning at 11:00. we had discussed it because we had some plans that got canceled. So we had discussed it in some detail actually.
MR. ZANGENEH: And your plan was to leave Tallahassee and to drive north and -- I guess northbound?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I -- Thomasville Road, north, northeast bound. Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: Sure. Let me rephrase that. I'm sorry.
So, your plan was to travel north of Tallahassee to Tennessee; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: And you told wendi that, Hey, listen, I'm going on this trip, and I'm leaving Friday morning around 11 a.m.; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: And do you recall what time the actual shooting took place?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I believe it was right around 11 a.m.
MR. ZANGENEH: The same exact time that you would be leaving the area; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: And although it was for a business trip, if people didn't know what your plans were, would you agree with me that it may look like leaving the scene if you are traveling outside of the jurisdiction?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's what I was concerned about, that if I had taken my trip at the scheduled time, I would have looked like I was fleeing because I would have been driving -- I would have taken Capital Circle to Thomasville and been very close to Professor Markel's house, actually.
MR. ZANGENEH: And when did you find out that Ms. Adelson -- wendi Adelson had suggested that you may be involved in this?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I suspected it from the police interrogations, but they didn't explicitly say that. Eventually I was able to view her interrogation video.
MR. ZANGENEH: And by “her,” you mean wendi Adelson?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: And by “interrogation video," you mean interview; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Because, as you are aware, she has been charged in this case; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I'm aware of that, yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: And obviously you haven't either?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Right.
MR. ZANGENEH: You've been cleared by law enforcement?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Now, let's talk about your relationship with wendi Adelson. You started dating her -- give me a -- give me a time period.
JEFFREY LACASSE: September 27th, 2013, was our first date.
MR. ZANGENEH: And how long would you say that your relationship with her lasted?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, there was different phases of it. In that fall semester, we weren't exclusive. It was more casual. It became more serious late February, early March. So, as far as the serious I'm-your-boyfriend-you're-my-girlfriend sort of thing, just March through July.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So you started casually dating in September of 2013, and it got more serious at the beginning of 2014?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's right. That's right.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. And how did you meet Ms. Adelson? How did you guys first have a date?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, through mutual friends.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So, it wasn't, like, on a social media dating app or anything else?
MR. ZANGENEH: were you aware if Ms. Adelson was participating in online dating?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I think I knew that -- well, I knew that she had dated online in the past. I did not know the timeframe.
MR. ZANGENEH: One of your concern -- okay. So, once you guys became exclusive -- and by "exclusive," you called her your girlfriend and she called you her boyfriend; is that fair?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct. And I was involved with the kids at that point and things like that.
MR. ZANGENEH: And it got to the point where she introduced you to her family; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's right.
MR. ZANGENEH: And you indicated that there was a dinner where you had met Charlie Adelson?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's right.
MR. ZANGENEH: Kind of a good-looking guy; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: Right. Works out?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: when you went -- when you had your double date where it was you, wendi Adelson, Charlie, and Ms. Magbanua, did you see what kind of car Mr. Adelson pulled up in?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I don't recall seeing his car in the parking lot. we then went to his house, so I saw his garage and got a look at some of the vehicles he owned, but not at dinner.
MR. ZANGENEH: what kind of vehicles does he have?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Ferrari is the one that stood out to me.
MR. ZANGENEH: Do you remember the color of Ferrari?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I don't.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you make any comments to Wendi about the Ferrari?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, wendi used to talk about Charlie having a Ferrari. I mean, that was -- she would say, My brother is a character. He has a Ferrari. He has an undercover cop car. He has, I think, a nice Benz in addition, or some luxury car.
MR. ZANGENEH: So, she knew what a Ferrari was; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sure. well, sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: So, it's not like -- she didn't say she has got a Porsche and you saw a Ferrari; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. It was -- it was a Ferrari. I actually remember discussing the cost of maintenance with Charlie. There was some downsides to having a Ferrari.
MR. ZANGENEH: Yeah. That's tough, tough.
So, pretty extensive car collection; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. Multiple cars, yeah. I don't know exactly how many.
MR. ZANGENEH: And did you learn what he did for a living?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. I knew he was a periodontist from speaking with wendi.
MR. ZANGENEH: And how many -- was that the only night you had direct contact with Mr. Adelson, Charlie Adelson?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's the only contact I had ever had with him, ~=that night.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did he appear to have -- well, was he -- did he appear to be intelligent?
JEFFREY LACASSE: He had -- that's a difficult question. I just met him the one night. That's a --
MR. ZANGENEH: I will withdraw that. Let me ask a more important question.
was he -- was he social- -- was he drinking that night?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I don't recall if he was drinking. He was holding forth. He was talking a lot. He was confident. That was my impression of him.
MR. ZANGENEH: He was talking a lot?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you ever see him go to the bathroom?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I don't recall.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you ever see him -- was he perspiring more than a normal person would during dinner?
JEFFREY LACASSE: This is five years ago. I don't remember. We were outside, and it was, you know, not cool at that time of year, but, yeah.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So you were outside in, like, an opened area restaurant?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. we were at Yardbird on the patio.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. The Yardbird on South Beach?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Uh-huh.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Did you witness Charlie Adelson doing cocaine that night?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did not. Did not.
MR. ZANGENEH: So, this was a guy who is on South Beach; right? Drives a Ferrari; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: Had wendi previously described him as having a lot of girlfriends?
JEFFREY LACASSE: sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: Handsome guy. Probably could get attention of women?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I would presume so.
MR. ZANGENEH: But your only face-to-face meeting was that dinner; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, that dinner, and then we went back to his house and hung out in his hot tub for a little while. But that was it.
MR. ZANGENEH: And during that time that you went to his house to hang out in the hot tub, did you see him ever go to the bathroom, or was he ever outside of your personal space?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, I think all of us were in and out of that hot tub at various points because we were sitting there a little ~while.
MR. ZANGENEH: At any point, did you Charlie Adelson -- now, let me -- you're a law professor; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Professor of social work, actually.
MR. ZANGENEH: Correct. Okay, I'm sorry. You're a professor at the university; correct? And I apologize. Not, a law professor. You are an educated person; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: You will agree with me that a layperson wouldn't solicit you to commit a murder; correct?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Objection. Argumentative.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Sustained.
BY MR. ZANGENEH:
MR. ZANGENEH: I will reask this.
Did charlie Adelson ask you to kill Dan Markel?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Did Charlie ask me to kill --
MR. ZANGENEH: Did he ask you?
MR. ZANGENEH: Of course not.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Mr. Zangeneh.
MR. ZANGENEH: I apologize, Your Honor. I will withdraw the "of course not.”
BY MR. ZANGENEH:
MR. ZANGENEH: And you will agree with me that at no point did you give him any reason to believe that you would be someone that would do such a nefarious act; correct?
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. when the prosecutor asked you about June the 4th of 2014, do you recall that?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. And you said that you guys were at the RedEye Coffee Shop; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That is correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: And around what time was that?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I had a hair appointment at 2:00 or 3:00, so it was at 1:00 or 2:00.
MR. ZANGENEH: And -- so in the early afternoon --
JEFFREY LACASSE: It could have been early at 12:30, sir. I mean --
MR. ZANGENEH: 12:30. Okay. So, around 12:30 on June 4th, 2014; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: You indicated that she was -- and by "she," I mean wendi Adelson -- that she was acting unusual?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: would that be a fair assessment?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Did you ask her what was wrong?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did ask her what was wrong. It was very non-specific. That happened with wendi quite a bit, where she was upset and there was not an exact name as to why.
MR. ZANGENEH: was she upset often?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: would she get these kind of physical reactions often, that her stomach would hurt or that she would ask you to get her medicine?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I got to know her better in the spring, so I saw more of it than I would have in the fall. That was the only time I could recall that -- that was not an average thing. I think it's why I remember it, is because it was unusual.
MR. ZANGENEH: And you said that you drove about 35 minutes to get her medicine?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. It could have been 25, 35 minutes. But it's -- where she lived was not convenient to run to the store; so it was a discussion, like, we want to do that. It's all the way down there. And she was so nervous, I thought, No, I'm going.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did she go with you?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No, she did not. we had -- she had the kids that night; so she stayed with the children.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did she make any kind of doctor's appointment shortly thereafter, to your knowledge?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Not to my knowledge.
MR. ZANGENEH: Now, you indicated that you guys became boyfriend and girlfriend at the beginning portion of 2014. was that a correct statement, sir?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: And when would you tell -- when would you tell the members of this jury that your relationship with her ended?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, that's a little complicated. On July 14th, we went on a date, and when I got home, she had sent me an email saying, I need a week to think. Please don't contact me for the next week. So that was the Monday before Professor Markel was killed. And then we didn't talk for maybe 10 or 12 days after the murder.
So I assumed it was -- internally, I assumed it was over, you know, that night. when you get an email like that, you are probably figuring it's over. But in subsequent phone calls, she acted as if it was still a slightly open issue. And we closed that down by the -- by phone calls that, you know, obviously we are going to move forward and move on here.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you ever question her loyalty to you in your relationship with her?
JEFFREY LACASSE: with regularity, yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: And when you say "with regularity,” when did you first become suspicious -- no, let me ask this question first.
You were concerned that she was seeing other men; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I was.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. And when did you first start getting this concern?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Probably March, April timeframe, I started to wonder. I had -- so not too long after we became a couple, I guess what I was wondering, Have we really become a couple or is she still doing what she was doing before?
MR. ZANGENEH: So, was it like -- did you find, like, text messages or direct messages on social media that made you kind of go, what's going on here?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. I didn't see any text messages or anything on social media. Her behavior was just erratic. She would disappear. She would get home very late at night. So there were signs like that.
MR. ZANGENEH: would you talk to her about it?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I tried to.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So -- well, let me ask it this way. Did she understand that you were concerned about her being loyal to you or your relationship being a monogamous one?
JEFFREY LACASSE: To be completely honest, I think we kind of pussyfooted around that until we had that big fight at the end of June. That's what -- that's what that argument was about.
MR. ZANGENEH: Let's talk about that big fight.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: why don't you walk the members of the jury through what happened.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. I had taken wendi to Gainesville with me. I was teaching in the off-campus program at UF for the weekend, so I took her with me.
MR. ZANGENEH: I'm sorry. Was it just you and her, or did she bring the kids?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No, it was just me and her.
MR. ZANGENEH: So, like, a romantic getaway to Gainesville?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, work/pleasure. I teach during the day. She works in the coffee shop. we had dinner with friends that night. That kind of -- it's a nice area down there.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. It sounds nice.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, it was nice. And the weekend started off fine. The Saturday night, we sort of got into it over this stuff. I confronted her about the fact that I suspected that she had been seeing other men.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So, let's talk about that.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah.
MR. ZANGENEH: So you are at dinner?
JEFFREY LACASSE: we were actually up in the hotel room. The night was basically over. It was probably -- it was pretty late. It was 9:00 or 10:00 at night when this discussion happened.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. And had she had any alcoholic beverages at that point?
JEFFREY LACASSE: we both had, but I think just one or two glasses of wine a couple of hours earlier.
MR. ZANGENEH: Just socially with dinner maybe?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. There was no more drinking than that.
MR. ZANGENEH: And was there -- did you -- did you say, Listen, I think this, that, or the other? Did you have any specifics, or were you just giving a vague, I'm concerned about where this relationship is?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I -- the latter. I was pretty specific. I told her I was very concerned, and I was particularly concerned because the way she had framed our relationship was, You are not just becoming my boyfriend. I have children. I'ma mother. It was like I was auditioning for the job of husband and father was actually sort of how it felt in retrospect.
So I bonded with the kids pretty tightly, and as you can imagine in a relationship, that kind of discussion gets more complicated when you're serious and there's kids.
And she had been talking about me moving in. She had told me not to buy a house. She had told me not to buy a Jeep, that I needed to buy a vehicle that two car seats could 6 fit in. So --
MR. ZANGENEH: So, it sounds like you guys were heading down that path?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. Hence, why I raised the issue, because I had some intuitions everything wasn't quite right. Her behavior had been a little erratic, and I was worried about moving in and ending up in a really bad situation actually.
MR. ZANGENEH: So, would it be fair to say that she was saying the wrong things but her actions were speaking louder than her ~=words?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's not a bad summary. I was getting two very different messages based on behavior and what she was speaking to me and what she was saying, yeah.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did that argument or that discussion -- did you feel it the next morning?
JEFFREY LACASSE: what do you mean by “feel it,” sir?
MR. ZANGENEH: was she acting any different the following morning?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Oh, the next day was probably the most awkward car ride I've ever had in my life. we rode from Gainesville to Tallahassee. She was crying. I was very upset. It was a very awkward three-hour drive.
MR. ZANGENEH: It's a three-hour from --
JEFFREY LACASSE: Three or four, however long it is to Gainesville.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. From Gainesville to Tallahassee, how ever long that was?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Exactly. Sorry.
MR. ZANGENEH: And this was in June. You said June 20?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It would have been June 29th. That's the Sunday -- the last Sunday of June.
MR. ZANGENEH: Two weeks later on July 13th, wendi tells you -- or wendi has this discussion with you that the prosecutor elicited; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: From June 29th to July 13th, would you say your relationship with wendi after that awkward -- that long two- or three-hour, four-hour, however long it is from Gainesville to Tallahassee -- emotional car ride; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: She is crying?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: Upset?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: And I would assume -- let me strike this.
Did you believe that she was upset because, like I said, she was saying all of the right things but she wasn't acting like she was talking?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It's very complicated and she was all over to the place, to be frank. And at one point, she was confessing. At one point, she was saying, I never did that. She was saying she couldn't remember some things I wanted to talk about, which was frustrating, so --
MR. ZANGENEH: But --
JEFFREY LACASSE: Go ahead. I'm sorry.
MR. ZANGENEH: No worries. You said she was confessing. Was she admitting to potentially talking to other men?
JEFFREY LACASSE: More than talking the night before when we were having the argument, but it was --
MR. ZANGENEH: what was she saying?
JEFFREY LACASSE: You know, it was a heated discussion; so I don't remember every word of it.
MR. ZANGENEH: Right.
JEFFREY LACASSE: But at points, she kind of let it slip out that my concerns were well-founded.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay.
JEFFREY LACASSE: And then five minutes later, she would say the opposite. And when I have had to explain this story in the past, I have had to say it doesn't sound like it makes sense because she was just all over the place. She was hysterical really.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So, would it be fair to say, at some point, she admits to talking to other dudes -- I apologize -- to talking to other men, and then shortly thereafter, denies what she had just confessed to you?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, and then I'd repeat as needed on the car ride back. She was, like, I never did any of that stuff you are talking about. I don't know what you are talking about. which was kind of crazy making for me, because she had confessed to some of it the night before.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So, from June 29th to July 13th, would you say the -- you were fixing the relationship at that point? was it going -- was it getting better or was it getting worse?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It was hard to tell, because on the 29th, I left her house and I didn't see her again until July 13th. She went to South Florida for those two weeks.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you guys talk on the phone?
JEFFREY LACASSE: we talked on the phone. Once in a while, we did some video chats. I talked to the kids via video chat and things like that. But it was very up in the air where the relationship was going to go. I would get a mixture of messages and by text.
MR. ZANGENEH: would you agree with me that your level of contact with her between June 29th and July 14 was less than it was before?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Oh, it was minimal. It was minimal. Days and days would go by at points without us talking on the phone at least. I may get the random text or something, but we weren't talking a lot.
MR. ZANGENEH: And then on July 13th, wendi, in essence, tells you that her brother, Charlie, had looked into hiring a hitman to kill Dan, Dan Markel?
JEFFREY LACASSE: In 2013, yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: In 2013?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: what was your reaction to this?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It was in the context of a relationship discussion. It kind of just blurted out. Wendi has a habit of blurting things out that are tangential or whatever. And so I didn't know what to make of it. My stomach kind of flipped. It was a chilling statement. And then we kind of ended up talking about the relationship again, and I -- I didn't give it a lot of thought at the time. It was just a -- like, a crazy thing that someone would say, you know.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay, very crazy thing.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah.
MR. ZANGENEH: But let me ask you this. Did you take that statement as a threat to you, that -- and let me kind of clarify this.
She indicated that because of her bad relationship with Mr. Markel; correct? And you will agree with me that they had a bad relationship; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's how she characterized it.
MR. ZANGENEH: You will agree with me that she said, based on a bad relationship, that her brother had looked into hiring somebody to kill him; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, that was specifically about the relocation, is what she said in that statement. I know they had bad blood otherwise for other reasons certainly, but that was specifically tied to the relocation battle being lost. That was what prompted Charlie to look into it, according to her statement.
MR. ZANGENEH: This conversation that you had on July 13th, where was it?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It was in her house on Aqua Ridge.
MR. ZANGENEH: Was anybody else around when she made the statement?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you contact any of your friends after this conversation and discuss the fact that wendi Adelson had indicated that her brother had looked to hire a hitman?
JEFFREY LACASSE: In what timeframe?
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So, on July 13th, when the -- when the conversation is over, do you stay there night?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No, I --
MR. ZANGENEH: You left?
JEFFREY LACASSE: we ended with me telling wendi, If you -- this isn't going to work for you, you can text me. we can just break up. I don't want a big thing, you know, a confrontation. And I left for the night. I did not stay.
MR. ZANGENEH: Do you have, like, a family member or a best friend that you talk to about personal issues?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I have several, sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Did you call or contact any of them on the way back to discuss what had transpired about -- and I'm not talking about the breakup.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. Yeah.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay, I'm sorry. I am talking about the breakup.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. Yeah.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Did you call your friends and go, Hey, listen, you know, it ended with me and wendi?
JEFFREY LACASSE: You know, that's a -- it's summertime, and at FSU, a lot of these people were out of town. Some of them were even overseas. So it was less contact than it ordinarily would have been. But I'm sure I discussed the fact -- well, not that night, because it was so late.
what I remember is the next day, when I get this email saying, Don't contact me for a week, I certainly shared that with friends because I found it really frustrating and surprising and thought it was weird.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you share with any of your friends the comment that wendi Adelson made to you with regards to her brother and the murder for hire?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I'm sure I did. I just couldn't tell you who or when I did that. But certainly after the murder occurred, certainly I shared that with people. I also shared it with the police the first day they brought me in.
MR. ZANGENEH: Right. So, you were interviewed by law enforcement in this case; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, sir.
MR. ZANGENEH: During your interview with law enforcement, did you mention this statement?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Did you tell Detective -- it was Detective Isom that interviewed you?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It was him and Investigator Hale.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. Did you indicate to them who you had shared this information with?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I don't know that I was asked to --
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Objection, hearsay.
MR. ZANGENEH: Judge, it's not for the --
JUDGE HANKINSON: Overruled.
JEFFREY LACASSE: I -- can you restate the question?
BY MR. ZANGENEH:
MR. ZANGENEH: No worries.
So, when you tell them what wendi had told you about her brother's murder-for-hire plot, did you say, Yeah, listen, you know, I spoke to my buddy?
Because the murder happened on the 18th; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: And so four days prior to that is when you got that -- the breakup -- was it an email or a text message?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It was an email.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. So you break up email, and so you call your friends, which is normal; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: And you indicated, just a few minutes ago, that you'd probably mentioned the murder for hire to some of your friends; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: At some point. I just don't know when.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay. What about -- was this before or after your interview with law enforcement?
JEFFREY LACASSE: was what before or after?
MR. ZANGENEH: Your discussions with friends.
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, after I had told it to the police, I certainly discussed it -- I'm confident -- I may have done it before as well. I don't recall that. But after I had told the police that, I did share that with some people confidentially, yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: Now, she told you -- and by “she,” I'm referring to wendi Adelson -- during your July 13th conversation, that he had looked and the price was either 15- or 50,000; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: So either one or the other; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Right.
MR. ZANGENEH: And would it be fair to say, based on your testimony, that she said that that price was too high?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No, she didn't offer any further context or explanation. It was kind of a thing that was blurted out. And then literally twenty seconds later, she started talking about something else, and I can't recall what that was. I think it was the relationship stuff that I was very focused on.
MR. ZANGENEH: So, out of nowhere, she tells you Charlie was going to look to hire a hitman, it was going to cost 15- or $50,000, and you don't go back to that?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I don't know that it was out of nowhere. TI believe preceding that was a discussion that if anything ever happened to Danny, she would move to Miami. I think I had spoken to Investigator Isom about that previously.
MR. ZANGENEH: And, listen, I have to ask, Mr. Lacasse: At no point did you contact law enforcement after you heard of this threat so they could contact Mr. Markel if -- to see if there is any need to protect him in any way, shape, or form?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I didn't.
MR. ZANGENEH: Give me one second, Your Honor.
JUDGE HANKINSON: You may.
BY MR. ZANGENEH:
MR. ZANGENEH: Just a few more questions, sir.
JEFFREY LACASSE: sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: would I be correct or incorrect in assuming or in saying that you were interested in having a monogamous relationship with wendi Adelson?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I thought I had a monogamous relationship with wendi.
MR. ZANGENEH: And you wanted to keep it; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Depends on when you are asking.
MR. ZANGENEH: On July 13th, 2014.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, that's how -- yeah, that's right.
MR. ZANGENEH: Okay.
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's right. That's right.
MR. ZANGENEH: And I'm sorry to ask such personal questions. TI know it's difficult.
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's okay.
MR. ZANGENEH: Did you think it's unusual -- well, let me ask this.
At some point, did you ever see a picture of Dan Markel?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sure. Sure.
MR. ZANGENEH: Do you think that there's a resemblance between yourself and him?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Everybody always says that. when I was dating her, no one ever brought it up. I see it from the pictures. In real life, I was never told that while we were dating.
MR. ZANGENEH: And as you indicated before, you are alsoa professor?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. ZANGENEH: Do you feel wronged by wendi Adelson?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Do I feel wronged?
MR. ZANGENEH: Yes, sir.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. ZANGENEH: No further questions.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Magbanua?
MR. DECOSTE: Yes, Your Honor. Thank you.
CROSS EXAMINATION BY MR. DECOSTE:
MR. DECOSTE: Mr. Lacasse, good morning.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Good morning.
MR. DECOSTE: The questions I am about to ask you are about the investigation into you, not that we believe you are a suspect. Okay?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I understand.
MR. DECOSTE: You would agree with me at the beginning of the case in July of 2014, there was a thought that you were a potential suspect?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's what I had been told, yes.
MR. DECOSTE: You were contacted by the police?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I was.
MR. DECOSTE: You came in. You were interviewed?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes. I came straight from my trip into the TPD station.
MR. DECOSTE: Three separate times you were interviewed; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: And they didn't handcuff you at gunpoint and drag you into the station; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. They asked me to come in, so I came in.
MR. DECOSTE: voluntarily went in?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: You told them what you knew? You explained the information; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: Eventually you helped them get bank records to show where you were? It was in Tennessee; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. But I believe it was cell phone records anda receipt from a K-Mart that had surveillance video of me, was my understanding of it.
MR. DECOSTE: So, they get your bank records?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah.
MR. DECOSTE: They see a transaction at a Walmart?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Right. Credit card records, yes, sir.
MR. DECOSTE: There is then a receipt?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Uh-huh.
MR. DECOSTE: And then they go actually to the walmart, get the surveillance footage that shows you there?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It was a K-Mart, but, yes, sir.
MR. DECOSTE: And then you were cleared?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. DECOSTE: You would agree with me that they objectively investigated you?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: Now, had they not gotten the bank records, the walmart video, or anything like that, one could paint a picture that you were involved, just the fact that you left town right when the murder happened and you had this connection.
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, except that I wasn't in the state at the time of the murders, so how could I have done it? So that's --
MR. DECOSTE: what we're talking about here is that somebody could paint the picture --
JEFFREY LACASSE: Okay.
MR. DECOSTE: -- without all of the evidence?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. If they don't have all of the evidence, sure.
MR. DECOSTE: All right. Let's go to something you said on direct, talking about June 4th.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: And you had -- you appeared to have very good memory of all the instances. You said that wendi had the kids on June 4th, the night of June 4th?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: Spent a lot of time with wendi, spent a lot of time with the kids. You knew their daily schedule, the boys; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I knew -- not so much, because I usually got there in the evening. So, at the time, I would know what days she had the kids. But as far as pick up times and things like that, I usually saw them at the end of the day. I accompanied her just a couple of times to pick up the kids, so I don't want to sound like I'm an expert on that because I'm not.
MR. DECOSTE: So, June 4th, she has the kids. The next morning, June the 5th, she would have taken them to Creative Preschool?
JEFFREY LACASSE: She would have. But I never stayed over there, so -- when the kids were there. So I wouldn't have known that because I left at the end of the night if the kids were there.
MR. DECOSTE: That would have been consistent with the custody setup that she had with Dan Markel; correct?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, depending on what the days on the schedule were, which I don't recall. I used to know that. I don't anymore.
MR. DECOSTE: It wouldn't have been that he would come and pick them up at her house and then bring them over to Creative Preschool?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I never saw that -- that kind of scheduling anywhere.
MR. DECOSTE: So, it would have been consistent with on June the 5th, she would have dropped the kids off?
JEFFREY LACASSE: It would have been consistent, but I don't have any primary knowledge of what she did on June the 5th.
MR. DECOSTE: Right. Let's talk about Charlie Adelson. Understanding that you didn't have a close relationship with him, you did meet him and you hung out with him?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, for a few hours.
MR. DECOSTE: To you, and I'm going to use your words, he seemed like somebody that hung out on both sides of the tracks; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's the way he presented himself in that hot tub, yes.
MR. DECOSTE: And you took that to be accurate?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes. I took his self-presentation to be accurate. That's correct.
MR. DECOSTE: During the day, he is wearing a lab coat or scrubs, whatever dentists wear; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Right.
MR. DECOSTE: And then when he is off work, he is going out, he is hanging out at the gym with less savory people?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. That was sort of his characterization. I was sort of repeating what he said, yeah.
MR. DECOSTE: In your words, less savory individuals?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Not less savory. Gritty -- I don't remember his exact words, but gritty -- gritty, something like that. I don't remember his exact words, but, yeah, that's what -- that's the way he presented himself in that hot tub. It seemed to be almost a braggadocio kind of thing. Like, Look at me; I'm on both sides.
MR. DECOSTE: And you took him to be a street-smart guy?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I did.
MR. DECOSTE: He had friends that were ex-Special Ops?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes, that's what he said. Yeah, that's what him and wendi said. Yeah.
MR. DECOSTE: His gym friends, that, to you, almost came off as nefarious?
JEFFREY LACASSE: well, yeah. And I don't remember the details at this point, but he was talking about deals they were doing. It was a lot of hinting and innuendo. But, yeah, you are accurately presenting how he presented to me.
MR. DECOSTE: Let's go now to the dinner on March 11th, 2014.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sure.
MR. DECOSTE: It was outside. It was on Miami Beach?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah.
MR. DECOSTE: If you remember, and you may not, do you remember seeing a pickup truck with two gentlemen outside of the restaurant watching you guys?
MR. DECOSTE: Let's go now to July 14th, 2014.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Okay.
MR. DECOSTE: Now, you had met Katherine Magbanua several months prior to that?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah, I met her in March.
MR. DECOSTE: So, March, April, May, June, July. Wendi is opening up to you and saying what her brother had looked into doing; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I think you are talking about the -- no, 14th. You are talking about the 13th, I think.
MR. DECOSTE: July 13th?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.
MR. DECOSTE: So, July 14th, 2014, she is talking about her brother hiring the hitmen. She is giving you incriminating details; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes.
MR. DECOSTE: Never said anything about the involvement of Katherine Magbanua; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: No. It was three sentences. So, no, she didn't.
MR. DECOSTE: All right. Let's talk about now the options that he looked into -- into doing to take care of the problem; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Right.
MR. DECOSTE: On direct examination, the state attorney's office asked you what year it was. But there was more specifics to that. It was specifically the summer of 2013; right?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes. It was attached to the relocation. So whenever -- it was after relocation had failed or when she had been denied the motion for relocation.
MR. DECOSTE: But I want to make sure it's clear, because we didn't have the full information from direct examination.
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah.
MR. DECOSTE: what wendi told is that her brother looked in to hiring a hitman in the summer of 2013?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That's correct.
MR. DECOSTE: And that would have been before he even knew Katherine Magbanua?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yeah. I don't know when they met, but if you say so.
MR. DECOSTE: One brief moment, Your Honor?
No further questions. Thank you, Mr. Lacasse.
MR. ZANGENEH: Redirect.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Yes, Your Honor.
REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: The breakup email on July 14th, 2014, I know you had some phone contact after that, but was that basically the end of your relationship?
JEFFREY LACASSE: That was the last time I ever saw her.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay.
JEFFREY LACASSE: we did have some -- it was in August. It was after -- we didn't talk between then and after the murder.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And you never got back together and resumed your relationship?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Oh, no. No. No.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. Any juror have a question of this witness?
write your question down, and we will go sidebar.
(A Bench Conference was held as follows:)
JUDGE HANKINSON: There are several questions.
A series of questions.
"was the breakup email on the FSU email?”
Either side object?
MR. ZANGENEH: No.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No objection.
JUDGE HANKINSON: "Did she want to relocate to have the kids full-time?"
Anybody object?
MR. ZANGENEH: No objection.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No objection.
JUDGE HANKINSON: "Did she tell you Dan Markel was abusive?"
MR. ZANGENEH: No objection.
MR. DECOSTE: No objection.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: what do you think? May I confer?
I'm going to object to hearsay and relevance.
JUDGE HANKINSON: what would be the relevance of that?
MR. ZANGENEH: Well, Judge, I believe that this door has been opened substantially through direct examination with regards to their relationship, the basis of the divorce. In fact, the relocation was -- was something that triggered Charlie Adelson looking for a hitman to murder Dan Markel in the summer or the late fall of 2013. I think the door has been opened.
MR. DECOSTE: Your Honor, the only position I have, and I -- if the door is open, I believe that the testimony would be that he was verbally abusive, not physically abusive.
JUDGE HANKINSON: JI don't -- I don't think any of this has been about Mr. Markel being abusive. To the extent it has any slight probative value, I think the prejudice outweighs any probative, so I am not going to get into that.
MR. ZANGENEH: If I just may? May I add one other thing, Judge? we did enter a 575-page exhibit which outlines all of the issues in the divorce. It's already in evidence. So this could be a situation where clearly there is a cornucopia of pleadings that have already been admitted which address Dan Markel being potentially emotionally abusive to wendi Adelson. So I think that that's where the relevance comes into play, Your Honor.
JUDGE HANKINSON: So, you already have it. So my ruling is I'm not going to ask the question.
MR. ZANGENEH: Yes, Judge.
JUDGE HANKINSON: "Did wendi Adelson frequently speak with you about the divorce and custody battle?"
Either side have an objection?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No objection.
MR. ZANGENEH: Well, if you can just give me a second, Judge?
MR. DECOSTE: No objection from Magbanua.
MR. ZANGENEH: Can you reread the question for me?
JUDGE HANKINSON: Did she frequently -- and we are talking about wendi Adelson --
MR. ZANGENEH: Yes, Sir.
JUDGE HANKINSON: -- frequently speak with you about the divorce and custody battle?
MR. ZANGENEH: No objection.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Which is a reminder. Let's stay away from the "wendi,” first name basis, please.
was she distressed when she didn't have the kids?
Either side have an objection?
MR. DECOSTE: From Magbanua, no.
MR. ZANGENEH: Was she distressed?
JUDGE HANKINSON: Right.
MR. ZANGENEH: No objection.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No objection.
JUDGE HANKINSON: what kind of vehicle did he drive in July of 2014?
Either side have an objection?
MR. ZANGENEH: No objection.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No objection.
MR. DECOSTE: No objection from Magbanua.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Did she say that she had been seeing other men or vaguely say your concerns were valid?
I think we've explored that sufficiently. I think he is pretty clear of what -- she said one thing and then said something else, so I'm not going to go back through that again. All right. So I will ask the questions.
(The Bench Conference was concluded.)
JUDGE HANKINSON: So, there's a series of questions from the jury.
The email, the July 14th, 2014, email, was that a -- on a FSU website or a private website? Do you have any recollection?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I think that was from wendi's gmail account.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Okay. And what about to you?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Oh, that would have been to my gmail as well.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Okay. So the answer is, no, it was not on FSU's website?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Correct. To the best of my recollection, Your Honor.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Okay. Did Ms. Adelson indicate that she wanted to relocate to have the children full-time?
JEFFREY LACASSE: She talked about -- she didn't talk directly about relocating because she knew that was no longer a possibility. But the other side of that coin, how unhappy she was in Tallahassee and how frustrated she was by the child custody were issues that came up, if not every day, every week. They came up very frequently.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Okay. So that was actually the next question. About -- she frequently spoke about the divorce and the custody battle?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Yes. Yes. Consistently throughout the entire relationship.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. And did she appear distressed when she didn't have the children with her?
JEFFREY LACASSE: Sometimes, yes. Yes.
JUDGE HANKINSON: what kind of vehicle were you driving back in July of 2014?
JEFFREY LACASSE: I was driving a 2004 four-door silver Nissan Sentra.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Ms. Cappleman?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Garcia?
MR. ZANGENEH: No. Thank you, Your Honor.
JUDGE HANKINSON: Magbanua?
MR. DECOSTE: Nothing, Your Honor. Thank you.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. You can step down.
Do we need to keep this witness any further?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, I would like to release him to go about his business, but I would like him to remain under the rule.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. You remain under the rule of sequestration; so don't discuss the case with anyone. But you are free to go about your business.
You have a phone number for him, if you should need it?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Yes, sir.
JUDGE HANKINSON: All right. Thank you. You may step down.
Call your next witness.